Tawny Frogmouth

Tawny Frogmouth

Birds

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

COMMON NAME:

tawny frogmouth

KINGDOM:

Animalia

PHYLUM:

Chordata

CLASS:

Aves

ORDER:

Caprimulgiformes

FAMILY:

Podargidae

GENUS SPECIES:

Podargusstrigoides

FAST FACTS

DESCRIPTION:

Tawny frogmouths have enormous, wide, frog-like mouths to capture insects. Their bill is large, horny, triangular, and sharply hooked. Their legs are very short and their feet small and weak. They are slow and deliberate in their movements, and are the weakest fliers in the order. They have rounded, medium length wings. Their plumage is mottled grayish-brown with darker streaks. There is little to no sexual dimorphism.

SIZE:

Range in length from 22.5-52.5 cm (9-21 in)

WEIGHT:

No data

DIET:

Fish, amphibians, crustaceans, and insects

INCUBATION:

30 days

CLUTCH SIZE

1-2 eggs

SEXUAL MATURITY:

No data

LIFE SPAN:

10 years in managed conditions

RANGE:

Australia and Tasmania

HABITAT:

Forest and scrubland trees - with special preference for open eucalyptus woodlands

POPULATION:

GLOBAL

Abundant through range

STATUS:

IUCN

No data

CITES

No data

USFWS

No data

FUN FACTS

1.

Frogmouths nest in trees, usually in the fork of horizontal branches. Their nests are made of sticks, and sometimes padded with their own feathers, which they camouflage with lichen, moss, and spider webs. Both parents incubate the clutch. When hatched, the young are covered with down and remain in the nest until able to fly.

2.

Often mistaken for owls, these unique birds are part of the nightjar, nighthawks, and whippoorwill family.

3.

Their unusual appearance serves as effective camouflage during the day while perching in trees.

4.

During the day, frogmouths usually sleep in a sedentary position, when disturbed they raise their head and stiffen their body, simulating a branch. This behavior is called "stumping".

5.

They can be heard emitting a soft warning buzz, similar to a bee, when startled.

6.

These birds are normally monogamous, communicating with a low, grunting "oom-oom-oom" call.

ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION

Frogmouths are abundant throughout their range, but are often killed or injured on the roads during feeding. Tawny frogmouths are at high risk of exposure to pesticides as they have adapted to living in close proximity to human populations. A decade ago, specific termite chemicals were banned throughout Sydney because of their toxicity to other species, but their persistence in the environment continues to pollute the food chain. Tawny frogmouths are also at risk from predators, such as cats, dogs, and foxes.